February 2010

I have encountered a lot of people being infected with viral conjunctivitis. The following is a health advisory from the Department of Health. Hand hygiene (hand washing with soap and water or use of hand sanitizer, best is still 70 % isopropyl alcohol) is the basic precaution for all common diseases .

Sore Eyes is a term often used for viral conjunctivitis

Incubation period or time from exposure to onset of symptoms: 5 -12 days

Mode of Transmission

• Direct contact by one’s eyes with hands contaminated with eye secretions of an infected person.

• Touching of eyes with hands getting contact with surfaces, instruments, eye solutions, make-ups contaminated with the virus from an infected person.

• Entry of the virus through the eyes by swimming in poorly chlorinated pools.

Signs and Symptoms

• Begins in one eye and later affects both eyes.

• Watery to pus-like discharge.

• Redness of the eye with pain and/or itching sensation.

• Eyelids that are stuck together on awakening.

• In severe cases, pain of the eyes on exposure to sunlight and foreign-body solution.

Treatment

• There is no specific treatment during the acute phase (1-2 weeks).

• If eye discharge is profuse and pus-like or patient develops blurring of vision or severe pain, consultation with an ophthalmologist is advised.

Prevention

• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water.

• Minimize hand-to-eye contact.

• Use only own towels, eye drops, make-ups and applicators, sunglasses or eye glasses.

• Wear eye/sunglasses on a windy day to protect one’s eyes from foreign particles

5 Major Operations (maximum of 2 similar cases, 2 students may assist a complicated major surgery)

5 Minor Operations (maximum of 2 similar cases; 1 case per student; major case cannot be used as substitute for minor scrubs)

5 Handled Delivery Cases – 1 student per case

5 Assisted Delivery Cases – 1 student per case

5 Initial Cord Care Cases – 1 student per case

The Certification of Authenticity of O.R. / D.R. / Initial Cord Care Cases is subscribed and sworn to for free by authorized PRC officials per Office Order No. 7-259 dated September 24, 2007. There is no need to notarize each page of the RLE exhibits. To meet however the exigencies of beating the deadline for filing or towing a long line of applicants, Colleges of Nursing may opt to have notarization done by any independent notary public prior to filing the same documents to the PRC

For major operation, 2 students may actually assist a major surgery or when the procedure takes two (2) hours or more, two (2) similar cases maybe allowed.

For minor operation, two (2) similar cases maybe allowed but only one student may claim the cases.

Deliveries in the community are to be supervised by a clinical instructor with Master’s Degree in Nursing or Allied Medical or Health-Related Sciences and signed by the same before the approval of the Dean.

Note: Emphasis must be given to competencies developed during the intra-operative and intra-partal phase and a variety of cases is preferred.

The faculty member, clinical coordinator, chief nurse and dean WITH ACTUAL ACCOUNTABILITIES in the RLE of the student must be the signatories to the forms.

Student must accomplish as many forms depending on the number of institutions/agencies where the RLE have been conducted. OR-DR-Cord Care Cases completed in two or more hospitals or agencies must bear the signature of the Chief Nurses of the particular institutions or agencies.

The Delivery Room and Initial Cord Care requirements of Registered Midwives who are nursing graduates applying for the Nurse Licensure Examination are hereby WAIVED, provided they submit a “photo copy” of their updated PRC Identification Card.

For nursing graduates who have completed midwifery courses but have not practiced and/or are “under board” beyond five (5) years from date of midwifery graduation, a supervised case of one (1) actually handled delivery and cord care shall be required for the Nurse Licensure Examination properly documented and reported through the required Delivery/Initial Cord Care Forms.

Other tips in accomplishing your PRC BON Cases Form

Do not or never abbreviate anything from all your entries such as dates, ,operation performed, anesthesia route, diagnosis, name of hospitals, use the format (month/day/year) August 23, 2009

Nursing case presentation can be a cause of anxiety for nursing students. It is considered one of the most dreaded moment in a nursing student life. But a well-prepared nursing case presentation can catapult a student to greatness and earn the respect of teachers plus of course a high grade.

I have been a panel and adviser for nursing case presentations for several years now and here are some tips and suggestions you can follow.

A thorough and complete nursing history is the key to the case. You have to have complete data, subjective data (nursing health history) and objective data (physical assessment, laboratory and diagnostic procedures)

Using the Gordon’s health patterns will definitely guide you in making your nursing diagnosis. List all appropriate actual and potential nursing diagnoses with supporting data, listed in priority.

When you do your pathophysiology, its better if it is presented like a concept map.

During the actual presentation, present only the salient points of the case. A PowerPoint presentation, in an outline or bullet form is the best.

Make sure you have consulted our adviser several times, to make sure you are on the right track e.g., are the problems of your client properly prioritized Are there gaps in your data? Is your NCP properly stated?

The panel would always prefer that everything is in order, most of the time, they don’t like interruptions or repetitions of the explanations. It has to be smooth and fast but with substance.

Do not make PowerPoint presentations in paragraph form. Don’t present the book word for word; make short and simple explanations. Most of the panel has poor visual acuity because of too much reading so keep your fonts readable.

Have a dry run of what you are to present. Read the evaluation tool, it’s a guide on how you will be graded.

Remember you are a nurse student. This is a learning activity. You have to do this on your own. Copying means plagiarism. You learn by doing. Good luck!

Love is in the air again. Lovers would be definitely thinking about what to give a special someone. How do you express love? You can’t count how much we love; much more there is not enough way of expressing it. One may just express it in words of love, a hug, a kiss, a touch, or just a smile.

Red Ribbon has come up with a cake that can sum up all the love you can give and share. The new Roses and Kisses Cake, sugar roses and Hershey’s kisses top this chocolate pound cake with chocolate chip filling, a delightful and meaningful Valentines gift.